


There's nothing a good bath can't fix

by katcoo



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Awkward Conversations, Bathing/Washing, F/M, Feelings, Female My Unit | Byleth, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Oblivious Seteth, Post-Time Skip, Post-Timeskip | War Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Romance, Sexual Tension, Spoilers, Tenderness, Warning: Dimitri stinky jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:40:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24683968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katcoo/pseuds/katcoo
Summary: After five long years, all Byleth wants to do is take a nice, relaxing bath.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth & Seteth, My Unit | Byleth/Seteth
Comments: 18
Kudos: 104





	There's nothing a good bath can't fix

It was late that day. Garreg Mach was silent under the stars that were already shyly appearing on the dark sky. Clouds seemed to be gathering, announcing a storm.

Byleth was sitting by the stairs to her dormitory, breathing in the cold air of the night. She needed to take a rest. She felt painfully aware of her own body as of late: she had been feeling that way for long, in truth.

Shortly after her awake at the now abandoned monastery she had miraculously reunited with her old friends and allies. The news of her return were received euphorically, and she soon found herself surrounded by her students, who had considerably grown, and were more than eager to help her catch up with the current situation of the world. As much as she appreciated their joyful chattering and the warm feelings they still had for her, she had to confess, in the privacy of her loneliness, that she was utterly fatigued. Suddenly being exposed to so many changes had left her physically and mentally demolished, plus all the obligations and work she had to burden now that she was to occupy Rhea’s place were not exactly helping in her recovery.

One would think that sleeping through such a prolonged time could only mean awakening fresh and beaming with energy, but Byleth had been laying in the dirt and stone-cold ruins of her home for five years, and the only feeling she could now easily tell apart was exhaustion. Besides all that, she felt unclean, and wondered how she was able to disguise the state she was in to the rest of the world. She hadn’t taken a bath in five long years. Goddess! She wondered how she hadn’t started to smell like a dog.

As the sky started to pour rain on her, she decided she would not end another day in that condition. She just wanted to warm her aching bones and change her clothes to clean ones. Maybe she would change her bedsheets as well; slide into fresh ones and take a proper rest. They were at war now but damn it, she felt she deserved at least that luxury. She got up from her position and slid right into her room, sparing just the necessary time in getting a clean nightshirt, a pair of pants, underwear and a towel. But as she exited the dormitory, she realized the weather had other plans for her.

Even though she had been quick in her task of getting a change of clothes, the moon had now completely disappeared behind a thick mass of clouds. It was no longer mildly raining: the sky seemed to be putting all its efforts on drenching her if she did so much as to step out of the doorstep. It had even begun to thunder, and though she could not clearly see it, glimpses of lighting struck the night now and then.

For a split second, Byleth debated whether it was actually worth it to take a bath. Maybe she could do that tomorrow. There really was no rush… She could always change her outfit and drift into a nice, peaceful slumber. Of course, those thoughts only lasted for so long. She had always been stubborn, but now that the universe seemed to be revolting against her she felt even more rebellious. Squeezing her clothes against her chest to shield them from the rain, she broke into run. She jumped down the stairs and set a fast pace as she crossed the courtyard. Luckily, the bath was not too far away.

By the time she finally took cover under its entrance, she was soaking wet. 

“Ah, fuck!” she said, breathless. As she straightened, she brought a hand to her eyes, moving aside the hair that was obscuring her vision. 

She heard then a familiar voice clearing his throat, and to her surprise, when turning around, she found Seteth sheltering himself under that same roof. He looked like he had been caught up in the rain too. In the dim light she noticed his hair was damp and he was holding some kind of bundle in his arms. Byleth couldn’t help the tone of surprise in her voice when she next spoke:

“Oh! Seteth! I didn’t see you there. What are you doing here?”

The man before her blinked as he furrowed. “Greetings. Well, you see... I was hoping to bathe.”

“Oh.” Byleth said, realizing just how ridiculous her question had been. What would anyone be doing at a bath but bathing? She felt a bit embarrassed for having asked such a thing.

Even though this was not her first time meeting Seteth since her return to Garreg Mach, two days prior, it was the first time they both were alone. They had exchanged a few pleasantries the first day: he had welcomed her and shaken her hand, and when his green eyes had met hers she had found they were full of a strange warmth. She had felt her heart, long silent, quickening its beats and had remembered how fond of him she was even before the war. But after that brief encounter she had been dragged back into the real world, and had not found a single moment to spare in his company.

Until then, of course.

Given the awkwardness of the current situation and how quiet Byleth had suddenly become, her friend decided to break the silence.

“Excuse me, are you feeling well?”

Byleth was startled at the sudden question: “Ah, of course! You see, I was hoping to take a bath as well! My body has been aching a lot these days and I felt like I needed to take a rest, you know?”

“I see.” he said, uncomfortably looking away. Byleth hoped she wasn’t the reason of his discomfort. Trying to maintain the flow of the conversation she gave one step ahead.

“I suppose we shall go?”

When Seteth still didn’t move, she turned to face the entryway of the building, only then realizing the whole truth of the situation.

The public baths at the monastery had always been segregated for men and women. Byleth had always thought it was a sensible decision, given the need to maintain propriety and, as much as she loathed to admit it, given the presence of _certain individuals_ among the students. Whenever she would take a bath she would do it with the rest of the women, while the men bathed in another side of the edifice. And thankfully, all of her female students had been reasonable enough as to not put her in the compromising position of having to lecture them on decorum and on how they should not kiss in public spaces. Byleth was aware of how much it meant for two people who liked each other to share their space that way.

Now, staring at the crumbled structure at the left side of the entry, she realized why Seteth had been avoiding her gaze. The area of the bath house assigned to men had been completely destroyed. It seemed one of the many beams that held the structure together had collapsed, thus causing the rest of the building to fall to pieces.

“I am afraid I was hoping to take a bath at the women’s bathroom.” she heard Seteth say, almost in a whisper. “I would have cleansed myself at the bathroom on the third level, the one close to my chambers, but it seems the entrance is blocked as well.” he explained, apologetically. “I am very sorry to have disturbed you, professor. Good night.”

Byleth saw, astonished, how the man in front of her turned to leave, skin visibly flushed under the flickering light of the only lamp in sight.

“Wait!” she prompted him. 

Seteth froze.

“Are you really going to return to your quarters? It’s raining like there’s no tomorrow. You will catch a cold.”

“So be it.” he answered. At that precise time, a lighting struck the sky, startling them both. As they recovered from the surprise, he continued, still not facing her. “I’m afraid I have no other option.”

Byleth had been feeling increasingly nervous as the conversation went on and on. Before she knew what she was saying she found the words leaving her lips:

“You could always bathe with me. I promise I will not look.”

At that, Seteth finally faced her. He was red to the tip of his ears, a sight that did not escape Byleth. She felt reddening up, too. What was she saying?

“Professor-!” 

“Come on, we are at war!” Byleth felt her stomach twitch as she interrupted him. “It’s not like this is a situation we can avoid. I need to take a bath and sooner or later you will need too. Isn’t it better to do it now than risking upsetting somebody else when the time comes?”

Seteth seemed to hesitate at her words, his gaze averting hers. She had a compelling argument, to be true. Byleth could hear her heart hammering against her ribcage. What was wrong with her? She could not deny she had liked Seteth for a long time, but it was unlike her to act this way. What was she hoping for? Had she really missed him that much that even the comfort of sharing an awkward chat in the middle of a bath was good enough for her? She, for once, internally cursed Sothis for having returned so much of her humanity to her. She prayed the heartbeat drumming in her ears would just stop.

“I suppose you are right.” Seteth finally muttered, a hand to his chin in a pensive manner. “I… I would very much prefer to avoid this situation. But I suppose you are not exactly pleased about it, either. I apologize in advance for any inconvenience I might cause.”

There it was. Her heart skip a beat. She hoped she didn’t sound like she was pleading when she replied to him.

“No need to apologize. We are two fully grown adults, are we not? I think we both can handle a little awkwardness.” At that, she giggled nervously, stopping midways at the sound of her own laughter. “Besides, I promised I wouldn’t look, remember? And I always keep my promises.”

“I suppose that is right.” Seteth said, a small smile creeping up to the corners of his lips. Byleth could see he was still terribly embarrassed, but at least he seemed to be warming up to her now. She hadn’t seen his smile in five long years, and it was almost cleansing to look at. Byleth felt blissful as her gaze met his. She hoped it was not too obvious.

“Shall we?” She motioned, as she signaled the entry to the bathroom. This time, Seteth only nodded and followed after.

As they set foot on the interior of the building, they both realized the poor state it was in. Of course, there was at least a roof above their heads, but the rest of the place looked as abandoned as the monastery did. The wide room, before accommodated to fit every person’s needs was now bare and cold. It was a miracle someone had cleaned up the pool that acted as a bathtub. At least it seemed to be usable, as it was filled to its full with lukewarm water.

“Well, it could be worse.” Byleth said, reaching up to light a small lamp besides the door. She tried to stay positive. “Luckily, I’ve been teaching at this academy for some time now, and I am proud to say I have quite mastered the art of lighting fires. I think I can take care of this.”

Seteth didn't laugh at her joke. He remained silent as she handed her fresh change to him, only the shadow of a smirk crossing his expression. While he looked for a surface to place both their clothes, she approached the middle of the space. Left to her own devices, she cast a spell to heat up the water. 

When it was hot, she turned towards her companion. Seteth had found a small wooden basin that had survived the inclement weather and the passage of time. He had cleaned it and placed both their clothes and towels on it, rather than putting them on the floor. He had also set aside some of the debris and dirt cluttering it. The room looked much more tidy now.

“I made sure the basin was in a good state.” Seteth explained. They had found some woodworm ar a few spots on the monastery, so his concern was natural. She appreciated the gesture.

“Good.” Byleth answered, smirking just slightly. “The water is already hot.”

A thick silence enveloped them, and her smile faded. After a while, she cleared her throat.

“Erm… Should we…? Should we get in?”

Seteth looked a bit embarrassed once again. “Of course. Shall you go first?”

“Always the gentleman.” she joked, trying to ease the tension. She swallowed. “I will be turning my back. You can undress too: the water will get cold if you wait too long to enter.”

They could have always bathed in turns, of course. Byleth knew that, but it seemed a much more practical solution to avoid making each other wait. Besides, it would have been much more uncomfortable for the both of them if one were to sit patiently, staring at the ceiling, while the other rushed to finish, right? Seteth must have surely come to that same conclusion. He was, after all, a very rational man, though Byleth couldn’t help but feel her stomach jump at the thought of sharing such intimacy with him.

As she turned to face the opposite direction, she began to undress. She first removed her cape and the rest of her upper clothes. As she removed one layer after another she started to feel the biting cold. By the time she was shirtless she couldn’t suppress a chill.

She could hear Seteth shivering as well. Despite her promise, she couldn’t stop from unconsciously turning. As soon as she realized what she was doing she pried her eyes away, but it was too late. Even thought Seteth hadn’t caught her staring, she had gotten a glimpse of his body and that alone was enough to make her feel incredibly guilty. At least Seteth had been clothed from the waist down. She didn’t want to imagine what would have been of her if she had been caught staring at him fully naked.

Byleth had noticed many things in the few seconds she had laid her eyes on him. He had broad, wide shoulders, noticeable under his usual attire but definitely not as much as one would suspect. And just like her, he had many scars trailing down his spine.

Byleth couldn’t stop thinking about it.

“I’m gonna get in.” she announced, getting rid of the last of her clothes. She was desperate to curl inside the pool, hoping it would provide a bit more shelter. She was not afraid to be naked in front of Seteth: he was a respectable man and the thought of him disrupting someone’s privacy seemed entire foreign to his persona. 

What terrified Byleth was the thought of them accidentally locking eyes, and him seeing on hers just how much she desired him. She was starting to feel a warmth on her insides and the last thing she wanted was to spend the evening feeling burning alight like some kind of candle.

The water splashed unceremoniously when she rushed in, and soon after she sighed in relief, feeling her muscles soothing. She had to bend slightly in order to fit her entire body inside the tub, since it was not very deep, but aside from that small inconvenience, she could already feel her whole self beginning to ease.

Soon, she heard Seteth joining her. Gazing at her side, she saw he had neatly folded his clothes, in contrast with hers, that lay chaotically all over the place. They were a funny contrast, in truth.

“You have no idea of how much I needed this.” Byleth said. Seteth sighed in response. “More than resting, it feels as if I had spent the past few years sparring.”

“I can’t say it has not been the same for me.” he agreed. Byleth hummed. She could not see him but she could sense the relief in his voice and the tension easing off from him now that they were back to back. “After this long I would not have imagined we would return to the monastery. It is an strange feeling, I must confess.”

“Aren’t you glad to be back?”

“I am. And so is Flayn. I think there must not be a single soul at Garreg Mach who is not delighted to have us all reunited. Everyone is thrilled to have us joining forces.”

“I meant more on a personal level.” she explained, as she sunk further into the water.

Seteth was quiet for a second.

“I am overjoyed.” he confessed, in a low voice, as if it were a prayer. Byleth’s heart skip another beat. There was a weird neutrality in his voice, almost as if he were trying to conceal something.

“I had missed this.” Byleth simply replied, noticing how he tensed at her words. She quickly rectified. “This place has truly become my home. I never thought I would become so fond of it, but I have. After I woke up I felt devastated, seeing the state it was in.”

“It shall be rebuilt.” he promised her. “This sanctuary is a refuge for us all. I can assure you the King of Faerghus and his knights will be more than pleased to help in its reconstruction.”

“The King and his knights…” Byleth repeated, mulling the words over. It felt strange to address her students in that way.

“Besides, I am sure my little sister would kill me if I were to ever abandon this place at such state.” he joked. Byleth smirked, feeling a warm sensation spreading through her chest.

“Your little sister, hmm?” she hummed, tentatively, trying to coax a reaction out of him. Knowing the truth of their relationship it was funny to hear him referring to Flayn in such terms. “You know, it’s strange how much everyone has changed. It was as if I were the same, but to everyone else so much has happened… I can barely recognize some of my students. Dimitri looks like someone completely different.”

“Did he inspire your affection?” Seteth asked.

“I was a bit fond of him.”

It was true. Byleth had always felt a slight tenderness towards the boy. Given the suffering he had gone through, she had always felt a need to protect and care for him. But after Edelgard’s betrayal his demeanor had completely changed and she could no longer bear to look at him. She would side with his cause, of course: there was too much at stake, too many lives she wanted to protect. But she did not sympathise with him anymore. She even felt a bit disgusted.

“I see.” Seteth’s voice sounded disappointed at her confession.

“But that was before he went mad with rage, of course.” she added. “Between you and me, he looks frightening now. I feel like the way Felix compared him to an animal might be more accurate a description than I thought.”

“Professor! I’m not sure we should be referring to the legitimate king of Faerghus in such a way.” Seteth exclaimed, surprise audibly palpable in his voice. Despite the seriousness of the topic, it almost looked as if he were laughing.

“What? He can’t hear us. He is not in sight and it’s not like he would come anywhere near a place like this” she stated, motioning around. “He should thought. He could use a bath too.”

At that her friend chuckled and she couldn’t help but ease into laughter as well. A part of her felt bad for mocking Dimitri. She did not hold him in high regard anymore, but somewhere deep inside she wanted to believe he had still a chance to be redeemed. She wanted to believe things would be back to what they used to be.

She wanted so many things to be back as they used to be.

A few sighs later, both fell into a comfortable silence again. Byleth slowly reclined, leaning on Seteth’s back. His skin was warm and wet against hers.

“I have missed you.” she confessed, her quiet heart pounding. It was one of those many moments of weakness, where her humanity couldn’t help but transpire through her actions. “I thought I would never be able to see you again.”

After what felt like a long, agonising pause, the man besides her answered. “You have missed me?”

“I know the same amount of time hasn’t passed for both of us.” Byleth continued, in a hushed tone. “For you it has been a few years, while for me it has been only a few days, but… I feared for you when I awoke alone.”

Seteth waited patiently for her to finish.

“I didn’t know what had happened. It didn’t took me long to find out, but… for those brief moments I was frightened I might have lost you.”

For the first time in a good while, that strange awkwardness that had enveloped them before returned. Seteth sat beside her, very still. He seemed to be thinking about something, thought Byleth could not decipher what. As the seconds passed waiting for his answer, she began to grow impatient. She had a fluttering feeling in her stomach, thought she was not sure if it’s source was anxiousness or maybe something else.

In truth, what she had just told him sounded almost like a love confession. Nervously, she wondered if perhaps she had overstepped. Maybe Seteth didn’t thought of her as fondly as she had initially thought. In the course of their relationship she had believed he had at least grown to consider her a friend, someone to be trusted. Someone with whom to share whatever thoughts plagued his mind. Maybe, even, whatever feelings his heart hid.

Now she felt a bitter sting in her chest, disappointment pooling down on her gut. She tried to not think too hard about it, but she couldn’t suppress the need to apologize to him. Just as she muttered the first few words, she found Seteth’s own stumbling over hers.

“I- Oh… My apologies. I did not mean to interrupt you.” he said, after realizing his mistake.

“No, no! I’m sorry too. Please, go on.”

“I… I was just saying… I…”

He sounded conflicted, as if some kind of internal struggle didn’t allow him to fully speak his mind. Byleth prayed that whatever force it was that he fighted, it would be his will that succeeded.

But to her renewed disillusion, he seemed to lose.

“I will go grab some soap.” he finally mumbled.

His words were empty, eluding, but Byleth noticed his voice trembled like a leaf. 

She was, nevertheless, too preoccupied to duell too much into it, for Seteth stood up and walked over to the wooden basin containing his clothes. As he fetched a bar of soap from it, Byleth came upon a shameful realization.

“I… I think I have forgotten to bring any soap with me.” she finally announced, loud enough that her friend could hear her.

She immediately heard a heavy thump in response, almost as if Seteth had dropped what he was holding from the shock.

“You forgot?”

“I… I think I did. It was already raining when I decided to take a bath, and I was in a hurry so I grabbed only the most essential things. And I think I must have forgotten.”

Realizing the compromising position she was placing him in, she continued.

“I should go back for it” she decisively said, standing up too.

At that, Seteth’s voice replied, in an alarmed tone. “No, no! There is no need. I… err… We can share the soap I brought. There is enough of it for the both of us.”

His reaction surprised Byleth, especially given how passive he had been throughout the course of the evening. Complying, she sat back in the pool.

“Are you sure? I don’t wanna make you uncomfortable.”

“You do not make me feel uncomfortable.” he answered, though Byleth felt like that was a half lie.

She heard the water ripple as he joined her again.

“Are you totally sure? Because I need a last favor” she asked.

“Of course. What is it?” Seteth questioned, his voice back to his usual tone.

“Can you scrub my back? I don’t reach.”

For the second time that evening, she could feel Seteth tensing against her. A splash of water accompanied him, as the soap slipped from his hands.

“I’m so sorry.” she said. “I shouldn’t have asked that. Forget I said anything. Just do as if you hadn’t heard it.”

“No, no…! I - I can do it. After all, we are two fully grown adults… that is what you said, right?” he rushed to reply. 

Up until that moment she had believed she was making him uncomfortable, putting him in an undesired situation. Despite these thoughts, she felt like he acted a bit strange, suspicious even; but another part of her kept whispering in her ear that after five long, tortuous years he must have forgotten about her. A lot could happen in five years. Nothing assured her he had felt anything for her before the war, and much less now. Nothing assured her in the past few years he hadn’t met an outstanding man or woman for which to fall.

And yet, oh yet, as they both bathed together, their fingers touching just slightly whenever they passed the soap, she could not help but doubt reason. When he turned around and extended his arms to rub her back, she felt them warm over her skin, covering with soap every inch of it they could find. She noticed how he lingered over the scars on her back, almost tenderly, and how, as his fingers trailed down her spine, he started to slow his every motion, as if he were fearful of what was to come. Despite the fact that they were only bathing, Byleth couldn’t avoid the knot in her stomach and the anticipation that builded in her throat. He was so close to her that it was almost intoxicating.

Seteth must have felt this, for he stopped as soon as he realized she was shivering under his touch. 

“I am so sorry.” he said “I assure you I did not mean to frighten you.”

Upon hearing those words, Byleth’s expression drastically changed to confusion.

“What? I’m not scared.” she said firmly, trying to make him realize his mistake.

“But you are shivering. Perhaps it is the cold?”

“No.” she denied. The water was still warm, and would likely be for a good while.

“Then might I ask what is it that makes you feel this way?” he said, concerned.

“It’s your hands.” she replied, her pulse racing with the boldness of the situation. “They are very soft”.

Seteth seemed to freeze at her words, unable to answer or process what she was saying. Byleth placed one of her hands over his, moving it closer to her own body in a reassuring manner. She heard his breath hitch.

“Seteth?” she dared to ask.

“Yes?” he replied, in a low voice.

At that moment, slowly, very slowly, she turned in his direction, looking at him directly. His eyes widened in surprise, unable to stop running over her, his face flushing too at the sight of her bare body.

“Do you like me?”

She thought he would never answer her.

“Yes.” he finally said after a few seconds, in a raw whisper. “Very much.”

Byleth audibly swallowed. Their bodies were almost pressing at that moment.

“Do you…?” he inquired, his voice expectant, but masquerading a fear she somehow managed to sense.

“What do you think?” she replied, her breath dangerously close to his mouth.

Before any of them knew what was happening, they were sharing a sloppy, messy kiss. Seteth’s free hand moved to rest on Byleth’s cheek, stroking it in a way that spoke just how he felt towards her. He was the first to break the kiss too, overwhelmed by emotion and desire. Byleth took the time to appreciate him then, biting her lip as her gaze trailed down his chest. Seteth seemed flustered as he tried to catch his breath.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time” she confessed, itching for more of his touch. They stared at each other for a few seconds, and she felt inexplicably aroused as she realized the hunger his eyes.

“Me too” he agreed, leaning to whisper into her ear. “I’ve waited for five long years.”

Their next kiss was considerably more heated.

As they deepened it, Byleth put her arms around his neck and pressed herself against him. She heard Seteth huff in response, positively surprised at her taking the lead. As the minutes went on, their fingers explored each other. Their kisses were broken now and then, substituted by gentle caresses. She felt full of need, Seteth in a similar state to hers. Byleth could hear him speak softly, almost reverently on her ear, telling her in a low, husky voice how beautiful she was.

Neither had noticed, but it had stopped raining recently. The moon was now shining brightly in the sky, casting strange shadows to the interior of the building.

Two voices echoed outside of it, startling them with their chatter. To both Seteth and Byleth’s displeasure, they were suddenly pulled apart in the middle of their fever. They freezed in shock, listening horrified as the intruders argued.

“Come on, why don’t you relax? I’m sure there is no one around I will bother. You need to learn how to enjoy the moment, Ingrid.” said one.

“Oh no.” Byleth, whispered, recognizing it. Seteth turned pale too.

“You are incorrigible, Sylvain! I can’t believe you are like this! Haven’t you stopped to think just how selfish and egoistic you are? And now, on top of all that, you are also predatory! This is the women’s bathroom!”

As the voices approached, Byleth thanked that she had barely lit a few lights. The room remained dark enough to pass as abandoned, so she hoped that by some miracle her two old students would spare them the embarrassment of finding her and Seteth in such a compromising position.

“I know, I know,” he replied in a tired manner. “but I am afraid there are few damsels around the monastery these days. Who cares if I take a peek inside? It’s probably empty anyway.”

The shadows near the entrance grew taller in proximity.

“But what if there _is_ someone?” Ingrid questioned, increasingly angry. “You can’t just go around sliding into private spaces like this! It’s disgusting. It’s unethical!”

“Ah, you and your knight codes. So much honor! But where is the fun, huh?” Sylvain replied, taking a few loud steps further. Byleth felt her heart pound in her ears. She could already see a peek of the boy’s red hair sticking out of the doorway. Seteth seemed equally mortified, both of them too shocked to do anything about the situation.

For a second, Byleth considered jumping out of the water and running to hide into some dark corner. But she remembered how her clothes lay all over the place, making it impossible for her to pick them up in time without being noticed.

As Sylvain was about to take a final step into the room, Ingrid screamed:

“I swear to the Goddess that if you walk into that room I will stop talking to you at once! And you will have to deal with that angry mob of women that follows you around everywhere yourself!”

To Byleth and Seteth’s relief, Sylvain seemed to stop dead on his tracks.

“Oh, come on Ingrid… Don’t be like this!” he protested. “It’s not even that big of a deal, even you have to admit it! You don’t have to act so offended! You could just… join me, you know. It could be fu-”.

“Excuse ME?” Ingrid replied, enraged “What are you implying?”

“Oh, just… you know… that we could-”

“I’ve had enough!” they heard her say, as her angry footsteps exited the area.

Sylvain seemed confused at her reaction, too preoccupied by her words to not follow her. They heard him call after her a few times, to no avail. As the last of his footsteps disappeared down the corridor, Byleth and Seteth relaxed slightly.

“Oh Goddess,” said she. “I owe Ingrid one.”

“I swear… I swear that if that Gautier boy had come in here…” Seteth murmured, still furious. “To have such such audacity! How does he even dare to set foot on here! The women’s bathroom!”

“Well.” Byleth said, directing her gaze back at him. “You are here too, if you remember correctly.”

Prying his eyes away from the entrance of the building, where he was still gazing upon, Seteth looked at Byleth, a shade of pink coloring his cheeks.

“The… The circumstances are entirely different.”

Now that he laid his eyes on her, he looked, once again, completely mesmerized.

“Perhaps. But maybe it’s better if we continue somewhere else, don’t you think?” She asked, placing a hand in his chest.

“You… You wish to continue this?” Seteth repeated, perplexed.

The smooth tone Byleth had used until then evaporated when she next opened her mouth: “Didn’t I tell you that… well you know. That I… That I had missed you?”

“Yes. Yes, I suppose that is true.” he conceded, still transfixed by her look. Byleth saw how he heavily swallowed. “Does that mean… you feel something for me too?”

“Of course.” she replied.

“Not only…?”

“Lust?” she finished incredulously, realizing what he meant. “No, not _only_ lust.” she whispered to him.

Holding the palm of his hand upside down, she kissed it sweetly, almost shyly.

When she turned up her head again, Seteth raised her chin and, taking Byleth by surprise, kissed her briefly. His lips were soft and wet against hers, but this time he seemed much more confident. Though Byleth felt a warmth pooling on her belly, truth is neither of them wanted to risk again being caught in such a way. When they separated, he rested his forehead on hers.

“Well. We should finish cleaning ourselves, should we not?”

“Ah... Yes, you are right.” Byleth agreed, shakily.

They did their best to wash the soap out of themselves as fast as it was possible. This time there were no more caresses, but they didn’t turn their backs on each other either. Seteth aided her, pouring water over her overheated skin. Byleth spared a glance or two in his direction from time to time, whenever she thought he could not see her staring intently at his soaked figure. When they finished, they pulled their drenched bodies out of the pool, and shared a towel.

“What will you do now?” Byleth asked him, after they had dried and already started changing into their fresh clothes.

She put on her boots and cape, and collected her stuff from the ground, waiting for him.

Seteth must have sensed the impatience in her voice, for he answered: “We have a lot ahead of us.”

“What do you mean?” She asked, a bit taken back by what seemed like a rejection. As much as she wished to lose herself in his company, she was aware he was right, after all. Much needed to be done yet, and it was already very late that night.

Her friend finished buttoning up his attire, and gathered up his possessions. He seemed to not have any intention of answering her, which only made her more nervous.

As they approached the exit, she was surprised to find him speaking softly in her ear. “Flayn is awake and waiting for me at the moment. And you must have a lot on your mind right now. But… If- If tomorrow, or whenever your head is clearer, you still haven’t changed your mind… I would be delighted to have you.”

Upon hearing his words, she felt a wave of affection wash over her. Turning around abruptly, she searched into his eyes, only to find him staring back with devotion. She knew that, just like her, he must have been desperate to hold her. And yet, he remained composed, willing to wait for an answer whenever she felt she could provide one, only his gaze betraying his need.

Unable to held herself back, Byleth stood on the tip of her toes and kissed him. Garreg Mach was silent under the moon, and so, only the stars beared witness to that tender goodbye.

“Tomorrow” Byleth promised “I’ll come find you.”

Shuddering at her words, Seteth forced himself to not chase after her lips. She slowly leaned away. When they parted ways, she refused to look back, fearful that she might not be able to control herself if she dared to do so much as to glance in his direction.

By the time she reached her dormitory, the cool air of the night had mitigated, if only slightly, her urgency. She slipped into her room and closed the door behind herself, locking it for the night.

She was finally clean and ready to rest until the morning came, as she had so desired. But something told her that night she would not be getting as much sleep as she had thought.

**Author's Note:**

> If you've read this far, thank you so, so much! This is my first fanfic (or at least the first I ever finish) and I'm not a native english speaker, so I would love to read any thoughts on it. Just hearing what you think of it would be awesome! ^^
> 
> In any case, I hope you enjoyed it! I got a bit carried away writing this, and even considered leaving it as a wip (since I felt like I wasn't able to fit everything I wanted into the fic!), but finally managed to finish it! So yeah. Huuh thank you so much for reading... ;v;
> 
> Special thanks to everyone who gave me feedback while I was still working on it They helped me a lot figuring out what I wanted to go for!


End file.
